Thiruvananthapuram, March 6 As the UPSC announced the results of the Civil Services Examination on Friday, candidates from Kerala who appeared on the merit list expressed their happiness over their achievement.
The highest-ranked candidate from Kerala is R Sruthi, who secured the 18th rank.
Sreeja J S of Thiruvananthapuram, who secured the 57th rank, credited her parents for the achievement, saying they ensured she received an education despite facing several hardships.
Sreeja successfully cleared the UPSC examination in her first attempt.
"My duty was to study well, and it was the encouragement of my parents that motivated me," Sreeja told the media.
Sreeja's father, who works as a labourer, was visibly moved.
"Her hard work has finally paid off," the family said.
Ajay Raj from Kozhikode, who is visually impaired, secured the 109th rank.
Raj said this was his fifth attempt at the civil services examination, and that his previous attempt had resulted in a rank of 730.
"I received support from several people, including my family and friends at the civil services preparation center," he told the media.
He said he prefers the IAS and hopes to achieve it with the rank he has attained.
Siddharth M Joy, who secured the 271st rank, said he had been preparing for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination for the past four years.
"I had put in a lot of effort for this. It is definitely a happy moment after attempting it for the last four years," he said.
Other candidates from Kerala who made it to the list include H Aditya Narayanan (68), B Gopika (105), Vineeth Lohithakshan (129), V Sreelakshmi (133), Vishnupriya (149), V K Surya (162), S Divya (166), Nithin P (172), Pradeep S (218) and Anjana B (222).
The UPSC released the merit list on Friday, in which 958 candidates have qualified and will be appointed to various services.
Meanwhile, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan congratulated the candidates from the state who secured ranks in the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
The chief minister said the candidates who made it to the merit list have brought pride to the state.
"Their achievements through hard work and dedication are commendable. I hope they will serve the country by standing with the people," he said in a Facebook post.
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar also congratulated the candidates from Kerala.
In a Facebook post, Chandrasekhar especially congratulated Sreeja.
Pointing out that Sreeja is the daughter of daily wage labourers, he said her success achieved through hard work was inspiring.
He also highlighted Ajay Raj's achievement, who secured the 109th rank despite visual impairment.
"Keralites have always been at the forefront in talent and intellect," he said, adding that opportunities and platforms should be created for the youth to build their future in their own state.